Honey Show General Rules and Tips 2026

1. Members may only have ONE entry per class. If required, guidance will be given while entries are being received regarding which class your entry should be exhibited. 
2. Should the quality of entries in any class not reach adequate standard 1st or 2nd prizes may not be awarded.
3. The judge’s decision will be final. 
4. Exhibits must be delivered at least ten minutes before the beginning of judging. 
5. Liquid and granulated honey must be in standard 500-gram plastic jars with white screw-on lids. 
6. Only exhibits from financial members will be accepted  

Details of each class  

1. Extraction frame: This should be of extraction standard; that is a heavy frame as wide as possible which makes for ease of uncapping. The judge will look for evenness of capping, freedom blemishes and pollen, and the general condition.  

2. Comb honey frame: This is usually a store frame of medium weight and thickness and capping, free from pollen and defects and could be cut into Honey Comb for boxing. Frames should be completed from new foundation.  

Honey Jars: Please remember to obtain the standard Show jars. The reason for this is uniformity: different types of bottles and jars have varying light densities due to their container thickness. One jar is required for each exhibit.  

Standard show jars are essential. Any other types will be disqualified. 

3. Granulated Honey: This is a natural process of allowing honey to set, the honey should not be seeded, whipped, candied or creamed. 

There are three categories: dark, medium, and light. Normally, light-coloured honey ranges from light amber to paper white. The Judge will take notice of flavour, colour, fineness of grain and freedom from foreign matter.  

4. Liquid honey is dark, medium, and light, and the colour criteria are the same as for granulated honey.  

5. Creamed Honey: All colours are included. The visual appearance, spreadability and texture are the main qualities looked for ie. Not too soft, not too hard 

6. Wooden frames and Ross Rounds Points are awarded for flavour, completing of capping and freedom from travel stain. Entrants are urged to present their exhibits to the best advantage; for example, the propolis should be carefully removed and the woodwork cleaned by sanding or other means. Exhibits to be in clear comb section bags. With Ross Rounds two are required with clear plastic covers on both sides.  

7. Cut Comb Honey: Boxed in a standard white container with a clear plastic lid. A generous piece of comb with clean-cut edges and a minimum of liquid honey [better none at all]. The cells should be a Uniform worker or drone, well filled and 100% capped. Cappings are convex and a Uniform white or light yellow colour. There should be the absence of pollen or wax moth damage or weeping. Both sides of the comb may be inspected and viewed from behind with a bright light. One cell may be tested for the quality of honey and the absence of granulation.  

8. Wax the exhibit must be as nearest 500gms in weight and must be from this current season. It must be presented as tipped from the mould. Points will be lost for obvious scraping or chipping. The judge will look for colour, texture and impurity. There is no bar to the shape of the mould. Entrants are advised not to heat the wax in an iron or enamel container as this may darken the wax. For preference, use an aluminium/Stainless steel container. Do not overheat wax; strain through a nylon stocking or similar. Cool very slowly, making for uniformity in texture and freedom from cracking and chipping. As far as possible, avoid propolis wax as this tends to darken the colour. Pure bee’s wax is only to be used. One teaspoonful of vinegar helps to clarify the wax.  

NON Competition classes 

9. Novelty wax: This will be judged as a work of art, considering quality, the colour of the wax etc., No weight restriction.  

10. Honey based product: judged by appealing to one of four senses – sight, taste, touch and smell.  

11. Honey Beverages.  

Category A:  for Alcoholic beverages produced using honey which may include meads but not limited to traditional Meads, Metheglins (a type of mead made with the inclusion of herbs and/or spices) or Melomels.( a type of mead made with Fruit), Braggot brewed with grain usually Beer, or distilled beverages using a spirit base can be included. 

Category B: for non-alcoholic honey beverages, which may include, but are not limited to, products like Cordials, Lemonades, Chai Blends or Sports drinks. 

* A card should be included to specify the ingredients used. 

Judging criteria

Appearance, correct fill level 6-9mm airspace between surface of liquid and stopper. cleanliness of bottles and stoppers, clarity of beverage colour, lack or otherwise of sediment, absence of foreign matter, components of bubbles or head as appropriate. 

Aroma/bouquet, intensity of honey aroma, richness or specificity of the olfactory spectrum, balance, originality. Sulphury, harsh or overly yeasty fermentation characteristics are undesirable. 

Taste,body and balance, richness, body or specificity, originality, complexity, harmony and balance of sensory elements are desirable. The correct balance of sweetness, acidity, alcohol and honey character are assessed. 

Labeling, packaging and over all presentation will all be taken into account. 

General

Wherever possible, please decide which class you wish to enter before the Show, as this saves 
confusion on arrival. You are invited to enter into the spirit of the competition; although you may consider some of your honey is not up to show standard, you could be pleasantly surprised!  

Bring your exhibits along to help make this a good Show  

Note Shield Points and Awards  

All categories 1 to 15 have the same maximum score. 
All categories can be entered. 
The sum of the top 6 scores of an individual will determine the winner.
Only categories 1 - 12 score towards cup .

Awards are: “The Shield”, 2nd, 3rd and Best Novice. 
Novice is a 1st  or 2nd-year beekeeper. 

Enter the Annual Honey Show Competition 2026